Designing the Perfect Premium Smart TV (1) Original Form

When it comes to design, there are many examples of products designed with strict adherence to original form. There is even a saying that “original form that is effectively defined in the minds of many people never changes.” For instance, the outer appearance of Vespa, the scooter that Audrey Hepburn rode on in the film <Roman Holiday>, still remains the same even after many years. World-renowned luxury goods are also timeless pieces of design.

This is the philosophy Samsung’s designers kept in their hearts to create a TV that is beyond comparison and defies common sense, Samsung Electronics became the first to emphasize the ‘original form’ with the design of its premium ES9000 Smart TV. 

One Design

The design team focused on the essence of the ES9000, defining the original design as ‘one design’ with virtually no bezel. What mattered most was the screen and the space in the house that surrounded the screen. It was also important to enable consumers to concentrate on the screen. This was the direction of the ES9000, a leader among premium products.

Product/Production Process

To achieve this, the design team determined the basic unit of measurement as 0.1m, and the total horizontal length as 180cm. The overall frame was created to have a vivid texture based on a unit of 0.1mm, and the textures were designed to be extremely elaborate, as if they were arranged neatly by hand and gleaming to exude a sense of existence. 

Someone once asked whether it would be a burden to choose an innovative design and color while simultaneously creating an elaborate development process that requires the detail of a handcrafted item. From the initial development phase, we knew that the ES9000 would be a different product class compared to existing smart TVs. This is what made it interesting, and the goal of creating a premium Samsung TV design was very exciting.

When it came to choosing which materials to use for the bezel, the team knew there were various options, including metal, stainless steel and plastic. The team decided to use metal because it was a ‘real material’ for its cold, pure aesthetic and properties.

This was a conscious decision by Samsung since most manufacturers used metal in either silver or achromatic forms for their premium TV products. Samsung decided to use the ‘real material’ to continually evolve and introduce unique innovations in Smart TV.

Within the overall production process, which included metal polishing (for high glossiness), immersion in plating tanks, and application of the ‘Rose Gold’ color, the development team was most concerned about the plating process. Unlike competitor products that created individual pieces of the frame and connected it after processing, the ES9000 had to be processed as a single frame from the production phase.

If we took the standard approach, we would have looked for the most cost-efficient solution to bringing down overall production costs. We would have discussed, above all, how much it would cost to produce the product. With the ES9000, however, we only thought about whether the goals we originally set were completely met. There were considerable risks, such as investment costs, a new production line, and unfamiliar processes, but there was great drive to take on the risks to meet the goals, knowing that the successful development of the product would enable us to create an entirely new market category.

Designer testimonial

The ES9000 sets a new standard for how high of a class can be achieved with a Samsung Smart TV. This class and quality is made up of differentiated value, design, the capacity to communicate with customers, and our workers’ spirit of craftsmanship.

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